Distant Church Bells
by ArraMidnight
Summary: In the distance a church bell changed through the cool September air. People mulled through the high stone cathedral. I rested on the platform facing the vast rows of pews with still few people in the room I was nervous. Why am I here? Warning involves ch


**So heres Arra writing at 1 in the morning again! I found this one in an old notebook, its not the best but its okay. So I'm posting, hope you enjoy it! Warning there is character death in this story. And as always I don't own these people :) So yeah I am reposting this one cause there was a lot of mistakes in it the first time, and yeah I'm bored and ignoring my finals plus I like this story and feel like making it better.**

In the distance a church bell rang out through the cool September air. People mulled quietlu through the high stone cathedral. And then there was me. I rested on the platform facing the vast rows of pews with only a few people in them causing my nervousness to increase. Why am I here? I thought feeling both weak and small all of a sudden. I could not remember even leaving my house that morning, my last memory was going to sleep very early after feeling sick all day, but then how could I have gotten here without my knowledge? Truly stranger things have happened to me though and finding myself unsure of what I had been doing the night before was not uncommon, but I no longer had the Millennium Puzzle and could not shake the lingering sense of unease that was attacking me.

'Yugi?' A voice behind me said, I spun and saw my ever present friend. He sank to the ground next to me laying an arm over my shoulder. 'Do you remember what happened?' I shook my head of course he would know that I was confused, he always knew what I was thinking. But yet... Suddenly a thought crossed my mind, I had become so accustomed to my friend being with me that I had forgotten...He had passed on, returned to his memory world in Ancient Egypt! I felt tears come to my eyes, and wrapped my arms around him. My best friend, my other self.

'Oh sshh, you know that I couldn't let you be alone when your going through this.' He whispered holding me tightly to his body.

'I don't understand.' I whimpered more tears caressing my cheeks.

'Look around you, you will see and understand soon enough my Yugi.' He kissed my forehead lightly. I shivered something about this darkened room was bring fear to my heart that I couldn't seem to shake even with Atemu by my side.

"Theres something so wrong about having it here, its so like a...a..." The voice stuttered.

"A tomb." Finished another one. I felt myself listening to them, they were so familiar! I knew these people! I looked up from Atemu's shoulder. Joey and Tristan were walking down the aisleway. I was taken aback by their attire at first glance, both older boys wore dark colored suits unlike anything that I had even known them to even own let along wear, but their expressions hurt me more. So stony and sad. Joey had tears sliding silently down his face and Tristan was paler then normal, his eyes down cast so not to look at his friend's misery as he fought hard not to let tears fall as well. The two boys sat quietly down in the first pew, not far from where me and the pharaoh were seated. I stood up and walked to my friends. Joey was slumped forward, leaning against his best friend who was continuously rubbing his eyes.

"Joey? Tristan? Whats wrong?" I lay my hand on Joey's shuddering shoulders, but neither seemed to acknowledge this action.

"Hi." A female voice said flatly. Tea and Bakura sat down with the others in similar style, they to had on fancy, dark clothing. Tea placed her hand over Joey's running her thumb lightly against his shaking fingers. Bakura had curled into a ball on the pew, his face buried in his knees, silver hair falling like a veil to hid him fully from view.

"Please Tea, look at me." I begged fearful tears continuing to escape from my eyes. She stared forward. Not broken down and sad like the others, she was still, as if she were made of marble, but not her eyes. I could see pain, there was none of her normal bright light, just a dull, dark stare. I touched her cheek lightly looking right into those eyes, but still she should no sign of noticing.

'Atemu, she can't see me?' I said my voice quivering harder then I would have hoped. The pharaoh wrapped his arms around my smaller frame.

'No, she can't. None of them can.'

"But why?' I felt hot tears now sliding down my cheeks with even more speed then before.

'Yugi, what happened to me? In essence where did I go when I returned to my time, what would I be in yours?' I thought, what could he mean? I let my eyes linger around the room, the sullen faces, the dim church.

'No.' I backed away from him, there was no way! He had to be lying to me! 'Stop! Why are saying this to me!' I ran to my friends desperately shaking Joey's shoulder's. 'Please! You have to look at me! Joey, Tea, Tristan! Please!' I whimpered sadly. Joey crumpled into Tristan's shoulder hiding his face from view. Tristan bit even harder on his lip, the effort to keep from crying breaking more with every moment. Tea continued to stare forward with that expressionless mask which was so not hers.

I sank to the ground as more people filled the room, it was almost completely full. The mutter of hushed voices rippled through the aisles of the church like a gurgling creek. I scanned the room again and my gaze stopped on the front pew opposite my friends. Mokuba and Seto Kaiba. The younger boy had tears rolling down his cheeks and was holding onto his older brother. I walked to them, pained to see him crying as well, but it was his brother that shocked me. I stopped in front of Seto, though anyone who didn't know him would still see the head strong businessman that the world knew, I could see his knuckles were white where he held tightly to Mokuba's hand and his eyes were more downcast then normal. Could he actually be sad?

I could vaguely hear some man speaking about me, but I wasn't listening. What could he say that would matter to me now? I looked back to my friends. The Ishtar's had joined them, Marik clutched tightly onto Bakura who still had not yet looked up. Joey was listening now, though he still had tears running down his cheeks.

"Now you may all rise to bid Yugi Muto a final good bye." The priest spoke as he raised the top half of the casket lid. I felt arms wrap around my shoulders.

'Oh Atemu!' I buried my face into his chest.

'Sshh, little one I'm not ever going to leave you again, its okay.' And this time I knew it was true. The people in the room were hesitantly beginning to raise. Someone near me was the first to get the guts to walk up. It took me a moment to realize who he was, his long black hair fell loosely around his face which was free of make-up and jewelery. Duke walked hesitantly to my group of friends.

"I can't go up there alone, please come." He bit his quivering lip, obviously trying to keep his everyday, sure of himself attitude intact. Marik rose holding Bakura close as they walked forward.

'I wonder what I look like?' I said quietly watching the rest of my friends raise to follow.

'Hopefully peaceful, thats all I would want for you.' He said softly brushing his fingers up and down my back soothingly.

'Atemu what is it like? Is it better than here?' He almost smiled, but there was true sadness in his eyes.

'Oh it is my little one, but not without those we love. I had my cousin and my friends, who I love very much. But without you and them.' He indicated the group that was lingering a little away from the casket. 'You complete me.' I kissed his cheek and we turned back to the others. None of them had gone to me yet.

'I want to hear them.' I said slowly standing and making my way to my coffin. My gaze fell on the pale figure of me laying so still, yet so unreal like a porcelain doll. I chocked hard against more tears spilling from my eyes. Suddenly I felt something touch my cheek yet nothing was there. I looked at myself laying there and saw that Joey had walked forward. His whole body was shaking and again I felt his hand brushing my cheek as he gently moved my bangs from my face.

"Oh Yugi..." Joey chocked hand shaking hard against my cheek. Please don't cry Joe I'm sorry! "I...I" He turned away more tears now pouring in sheets down his face. "I can't be here." He announced turning fully away from me.

"Joe please." Tristan begged stepping forward and grabbing his friends shoulder's.

"No!" He shouted now loud enough for the whole room to hear, many of them looked at Joey. "I won't fucking stop!" He threw Tristan's hands off and stepped back. "I can't! I won't fucking stay here, I just can't..." He chocked hard. "Oh god..." He crumpled against the wall behind him.

"Joey I promise it is going to be okay, please calm down." Tristan's voice shook with an effort to keep from crying which was he was slowly losing control of.

"Its not fucking okay Tristan!" He shouted louder this time, "it never will be..." He seemed to realize that everyone was watching him and turned away bolting down the aisle. Most people looked on with a mixture of pity and horror. Tears slide down Tristan's cheeks and he stepped to my casket, he grasped my hand.

"Don't worry man, he'll be okay I promise. It's just gonna be hard without you." The words were forced and sad, and again I felt a pang of guilt for hurting the people that I cared about. Duke stepped up and wrapped his arms around Tristan's shoulders. He lead the other boy back to the front pew, whispering something to him as tears now slipped from his wide green eyes.

"Marik I can't be here, I can't see more death." I heard Bakura whisper, his back turned to my casket. Marik's lips touched the pale boys forehead lightly, and he held him even closer.

"Of course we can love." He looked over Bakura's head towards me, and strangely close to where I was actually standing. "Goodbye Yugi." They walked slowly down the aisle towards the exit. I watched Ishizu and Odion stand quietly to follow their little brother.

Tea lingered back still, I wished more then anything that I could reassure her, hold her until I brought the life that was supposed to be there back into here eyes. Her face was still emotionless, she turned away from my coffin eyes scanning the room.

"Why are you all here?" She demanded.

'Who is she talking to?' I asked nervously, could another one of my friends be falling apart? How come I seemed to bring out this anger and pain in my friends?

'I'm not certain, but some how this does not seem as though it will end well.' The pharaoh said. I looked at the other people, Duke was looking at her fearfully still holding Tristan. To my great surprise it was Kaiba who stood up first. He moved Mokuba lightly off his arm, brushing the boys hair from his face and he kissed him lightly. I could see him whisper something to his little brother, and then he stepped towards Tea. I moved closer so that I could hear what they said.

"Gardener lets keep it down." Kaiba whispered standing in front of her, close enough that they could have touched had he been the kinda person who would let that happen.

"These people don't give a fuck about my friend, they don't understand!" She shouted at him.

"They don't Gardener, but its a funeral and as we both know Yugi was very popular." His voice was stern and demanding thought he still spoke dangerously quiet.

"But they don't understand, they won't feel pain everyday that goes by without him." Her volume dropped and for the first time her head dropped as well. Oh my Tea! I wished I could come back, if only to see my friends smile again.

"Yes thats true, but we will, and its going to be hard. It always is when you lose someone, but you don't need to yell at these people they will never understand."

'We?' I said looking at Atemu, he smiled.

'Do you really think that after all this time Kaiba could really still hate you?'

"I don't know if I can Kaiba, I just don't...I want him back." She whispered a single tear slide down her face. I walked towards her.

'I can't stand to see her so sad Atemu. I want to help her!' He walked to me an wrapped his arms around my shoulder's again, holding me close.

'I know little one.' He whispered quietly, I looked back to my friends. Her tears now dripped down her cheeks, soaking into her shirt. Kaiba stepped forward thumbing tears away.

"I know you do, but you have your other friends, who need you right now, I have the up most confidence that you can get through this." I smiled through tears.

'Oh Seto! I have never heard him be that nice.'

'Well you know he is human deep down there.' The pharaoh said. Seto wrapped an arm around Tea and lead her up to the casket. I walked forward so that I could hear them as well. They stopped and I felt something slip in my pocket. My fingers brushed against what felt like duel monsters cards, but what were they doing there? I moved to my casket, only to see Kaiba's hand moving away.

"You will always be my only worthy opponent Yugi," He said softly, almost without the sarcasm which was normally heard on his voice. I pulled the cards out of my pocket and chocked as I saw what they were. Three blue eyes white dragons. Kaiba stared down at the floor as he spoke, something I had never seen him do. "You take good care of those, cause I'll want those back when we see each other again, which I know we will since I can't seem to get rid of you." He stopped again taking a deep breath, I smiled up at him I hope he knows just how much this means to me. "Without you around there is really no one that I feel I would really need them to beat, though really it wouldn't matter if I could. I will never and have never beat the one and only king of games, and no matter how many people I defeat, that will always be you. You will always be the best Yugi, I hope you know that. And I hope you know just how missed your going to be here." Again he stopped, Tea was listening as well a tearfully sad smile touched her lips, I could tell she was thinking that same things as I was. "I guess, I...Bye Yugi." He said and looked to my friend. She held tighter to his arm as though reassure him in someway.

'Oh god...' I looked down at the cards again. 'Dear god, yes of course I will.' I said looking sadly at the older Kaiba brother who was walking back to his younger brother. I felt something else touch me, gripping my hand. Then a light brush against my lips.

"I will always love you Yugi." She said softly.

'Me to Tea.' I whispered knowing it was no use as she would never hear me.

'We have to go soon Yugi.' I looked away from her and back to the tanner version of myself. Tea walked slowly back to the pew and buried her head into Kaiba's shoulder.

'Just one second more.' My eyes scanned the vast room once more, looking over the many people, especially stopping on those I cared about. Tea and the Kaibas, Duke and Tristan, I wished very much that I could see Joey one last time but he was still not here. Then I spotted the person I had been looking for. My grandfather was still sitting eyes to the ground, though I could see his tears. I walked to him and sat down on the pew. We were all that each other had ever had, he had always been there for me even when I thought no one in the world would be. I wrapped my arms around him even if he could not feel it no matter how much I wished he could.

"I'm so sorry Grandpa. Please don't be sad, you don't have to worry about me I'll be strong just like always." I leaned forward pressing my cheek against his as I had always done when I was sad, I wished that he would hold me, rock me gently and tell me it was okay, but I knew that was impossible. I kissed his cheek lightly. Though he could not see his grandson, the old man seemed to sense something was there, as he smiled through his tears.

"I will always love you my baby, don't get into to much trouble on your own Yugi." He whispered with a pained laugh which changed into a cry. I tightened my grip on him.

'I wont I promise, I love so much Grandpa.' I kissed his cheek one last time and forced myself up. I looked over to Atemu, who held out his hand for me. I took it tightly in my own. 'I'm ready to go now.' I whispered and he lead me down the aisle. Hand in hand. The room began to slowly dissolve into blurs of color which had once been those that I loved, until no more remained. I looked around my new home tearfully. Yes I was ready now.

**Just a sad little one shot, I would love to know what you thought! So if you read this, please review! Reviews make me happy, yah for my sanity which is not really there as of today but hey thats okay, bleh I'm babbling sorry Yeah I was thinking of doing a second part to this which Yugi would be the person bring someone else years later, but I don't know...I might if I'm bored this summer break**


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